“When your healthy self is strong enough to deal with all that comes your way in life, your eating disorder self will no longer be useful or necessary.” This quote by Carolyn Costin illustrates that disordered eating behaviors are often rooted in survival. Eating disorders may develop due to traumatic experiences, body image issues, disordered eating habits modeled by family members and loved ones, and other mental health conditions.

At-Risk Populations

According to the National Association of Anorexia and Associated Disorders (ANAD), approximately nine percent of Americans will experience an eating disorder in their lifetime; nevertheless, the way individuals are impacted vastly differs due to not only shame and stigma but also inaccessible resources. Fifteen percent of women will have suffered from disordered eating by their forties; however, only twenty-seven percent ever receive treatment. Larger bodied people are more at risk for developing an eating disorder despite many people incorrectly believing that only smaller bodied people can be affected. In fact, the higher the Body Mass Index, the higher the risk of developing an eating disorder. In addition, LGBTQ+ youth are three times more likely to have an eating disorder when compared to their heterosexual, cisgender peers.

Medical bias can prevent certain groups of people from being accurately diagnosed and receiving proper care and treatment. Black, Indigenous, and People of Color are impacted by disordered eating behaviors at similar rates as their white counterparts; however, they are nearly half as likely to be diagnosed. Those with public insurance are only a third as likely to receive recommended mental health treatment as opposed to those with private insurance. Although men represent twenty-five percent of people with eating disorders, they are less likely to view their symptoms as problematic due to the association of eating disorders as being something that only affects women.

Disordered Eating Impact

The impact of disordered eating behaviors is immense. Anorexia has the highest case mortality rate of any other mental health condition, even higher than Major Depressive Disorder. Those with severe disordered eating behaviors are eleven times more likely to attempt suicide. More than seventy percent of people diagnosed with eating disorders have other mental health conditions such as anxiety and mood disorders. Although binge eating disorder is the most common eating disorder in the United States, it is often misunderstood and disregarded. Regardless of which disordered eating behaviors manifest, every person experiencing an eating disorder deserves adequate mental health support and resources.

Eating Disorder Treatment

Eating disorder treatment may be a mixture of medical monitoring, nutrition education, medicine, and psychotherapy modalities such as enhanced cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy. Since disordered eating is often rooted in societal pressures, feeling out of control, and other mental health conditions, it is imperative that mental health treatment is utilized as part of the treatment plan in addition to addressing physical concerns, medical needs, and nutritional considerations. For more information and resources, consider looking into the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), ANAD, or reaching out to Embrace Therapy for a consultation.